Enrollment
461
California · 2024-25 NCES data
Elementary school (grades K-5) · Dana Point, CA
Richard Henry Dana Elementary
Federal NCES profile for Richard Henry Dana Elementary, including enrollment, faculty, free-lunch eligibility, demographics, and resource indicators - Resource Investment Index 25/100.
2024-25 NCES dataElementary school (grades K-5)NCES 060744000699
👥 S:T ratio 0
🌟 Gifted program 30
🎓 Counselors 8
📋 Attendance 61
Scored 0–100 from federal NCES and CRDC indicators, resource allocation, not test scores. Full methodology →
The verdict
Richard Henry Dana Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools.
- #3 of 3
- public schools in Dana Point · Resource Index
- 25
- Resource Index · Lower
- 41.9:1
- large classes for California
- 51.7%
- free-lunch eligible
Richard Henry Dana Elementary has class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. Computed live against every California school reporting to NCES.
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Henry Dana Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Dana Point, CA.
School address
District: Capistrano Unified · California
NCES ID 060744000699 Verify on NCES CCD record →
Teachers (FTE)
11.0
Federal CCD staff survey
Students per teacher
41.9:1
vs 21.5:1 California avg
+95% vs state
Free-lunch eligible
51.7%
vs 55.5% California avg
-7% vs state
Student-teacher ratio in context
How Richard Henry Dana Elementary compares with California and U.S. medians
What stands out at Richard Henry Dana Elementary
Richard Henry Dana Elementary is a higher-need, mid-sized elementary school in Dana Point, California, enrolling 461 students.
Class loads run heavy: 41.9:1 is larger than about 99% of California schools and 95% above the 21.5:1 state mean, so each teacher carries more students than is typical.
Its free-meal eligibility rate of 51.7% lands close to the California typical range, neither a high- nor low-need campus by this measure.
With 461 students, its enrollment sits close to the California median campus size.
Its Resource Investment Index lands in the lower third of 9,998 scored California schools.
Against 1,514 statewide peers matched on enrollment and economic need, it ranks mid-pack at #840.
Its student body is led by Hispanic or Latino (45%) and White (39%) (diversity index 62/100).
Counselor access is stretched at roughly 461 students per counselor, well above the ASCA-recommended 250:1 ceiling.
15.6% of students were chronically absent in the 2021-22 collection, in line with the post-pandemic national range.
Among Dana Point's elementary schools, it stands alongside Richard Henry Dana Exceptional Needs (30 students): Richard Henry Dana Elementary is larger than that campus by headcount and runs heavier classes (41.9:1 vs 6:1).
Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students) and San Juan Hills High (2,641 students) alongside Richard Henry Dana Elementary.
Sourced from NCES CCD, CRDC, and F-33 (federal records, not a quality verdict). How we source and compute this.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data + CRDC + F-33 · 2024-25
How Richard Henry Dana Elementary compares
Richard Henry Dana Elementary on the metrics families compare, against California and U.S. means.
| Metric | This school | vs California | California avg | U.S. avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students per teacher | 41.9:1 | ▲ 95% | 21.5:1 | 15.7:1 |
| Free-lunch eligible | 51.7% | ▼ 7% | 55.5% | 51.7% |
| Enrollment | 461 | top 51% | - | - |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data School-level CCD + state/national means from Public School Universe · 2024-25
41.9:1
Leaner classes than 0% of US schools, heavier class loads than most.
461
Bigger than 56% of US schools by enrollment, mid-sized for the country.
Equity indicators (what these measure)
Economic need
51.7%
free-lunch eligible
- 7% below the California average of 55.5%
Above the 40% Title I schoolwide threshold; federal funds support the whole school, not individual students.
Staffing depth
41.9:1
students per teacher
- 95% above state mean
Top 99% in California - lower ratio than 1% of state schools
Well above 20:1, one of the more stretched staffing loads nationally relative to enrollment.
Engagement
15.6%
chronically absent (missed 10%+ of school days)
In the 15-20% range, nearing the "high" absenteeism threshold.
Funding equity
$14,421
per pupil, district-wide
- below California avg of $16,509
Somewhat below the U.S. average per-pupil spend; funding constraints may affect programs, facilities, and staffing.
Support staff
Counselors1.0 FTE
Per 461 students, the combined health-and-guidance staffing load for this school.
Discipline context
1
in-school suspensions + 2 out-of-school
Suspension rate: 0.2 per 100 students. Combined in-school and out-of-school rate: 0.7 per 100 students. Reported via the Civil Rights Data Collection.
Overview
- Common Core of Data (June 2026): enrollment, staffing, and the student-teacher ratio above.
- Civil Rights Data Collection: discipline counts and program access (AP, gifted, special education).
- F-33 School District Finance Survey: the district-wide per-pupil spending figures below.
Three separate federal collections, each on its own reporting cadence - which is why this school's numbers line up on a consistent basis against every other school and state on this site, rather than mixing figures pulled from different survey years.
Student demographics
Hispanic or Latino 44.9%
White 39.3%
Two or More 13.9%
Asian 1.5%
African American 0.4%
Largest group: Hispanic or Latino at 44.9% of enrollment.
Student-body diversity index 62.4/100
Simpson diversity index - at 62.4, Richard Henry Dana Elementary is more mixed than the California school average of 46.0.
Programs
Funding & spending
District-wide per-pupil expenditure for Capistrano Unified, which includes Richard Henry Dana Elementary.
$14,421
Per student
-13%
vs California
Avg $16,509
-13%
vs U.S.
Avg $16,593
Revenue mix
Local 61.2%
State 31.0%
Federal 7.7%
Source: NCES F-33 School District Finance Survey District-level finance · FY 2021-22 Per-pupil expenditure reflects the district-wide average. Individual school budgets are not reported at the federal level.
How Richard Henry Dana Elementary Compares to District-Mates
| School | Enrollment | Economic Profile | Student-Teacher Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Clemente High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| San Juan Hills High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Aliso Niguel High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Tesoro High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
| Capistrano Valley High | Larger | Lower economic need | Lower S:T ratio |
Comparisons are relative to Richard Henry Dana Elementary's own figures; each column derives from NCES Common Core of Data.
Other Schools in This District
- Enrollment
- 2,740
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 28/100
- Enrollment
- 2,641
- Students per teacher
- 21.5:1
- Resource Index
- 33/100
- Enrollment
- 2,563
- Students per teacher
- 22.5:1
- Resource Index
- 35/100
- Enrollment
- 2,030
- Students per teacher
- 22.1:1
- Resource Index
- 39/100
- Enrollment
- 1,991
- Students per teacher
- 21.9:1
- Resource Index
- 34/100
Similar elementary schools in Dana Point
1 comparable elementary schools (grades K-5) serving the same city.
Similar elementary schools statewide
Matched by enrollment size and by staffing ratio across all of California, not just this city - a different peer set than the local comparisons above.
Similar enrollment (~461 students)
Similar student-teacher ratio (~41.9:1)
Next steps
Verify locally before acting on Richard Henry Dana Elementary's federal record.
- Compare Richard Henry Dana Elementary against another school. Compare schools
- Capistrano Unified's spending and staffing shape this school. District profile
- Confirm current enrollment and boundaries with the school. Choosing guide
Federal record (CCD 2024-25, CRDC 2021-22) - PlainSchools assigns no subjective rating; the composite quality score is a transparent, reproducible index computed from this cited federal data.
Frequently asked questions about Richard Henry Dana Elementary
How many students attend Richard Henry Dana Elementary?
Richard Henry Dana Elementary has 461 students enrolled. It is an elementary school in Dana Point, CA.
What is the student-teacher ratio at Richard Henry Dana Elementary?
The student-teacher ratio at Richard Henry Dana Elementary is 41.9:1, which is 95% higher than the California average of 21.5:1 and 167% higher than the national average of 15.7:1.
What percentage of students receive free lunch at Richard Henry Dana Elementary?
51.7% of students at Richard Henry Dana Elementary are eligible for free lunch, compared to the California average of 55.5%.
What is the racial and ethnic makeup of Richard Henry Dana Elementary?
The largest demographic group at Richard Henry Dana Elementary is Hispanic or Latino at 44.9% of enrollment, in Dana Point, CA. Its student body is more racially and ethnically mixed than most US schools, with a diversity index of 62.4/100.
What is the Resource Investment Index for Richard Henry Dana Elementary?
Richard Henry Dana Elementary has a Resource Investment Index of 25/100 (lower reported resources relative to schools nationally) based on 4 factors: student-teacher ratio, counselor availability, attendance rates. Not a test-score or academic measure (national median ~41/100, see methodology).
How does Richard Henry Dana Elementary rank among public schools in Dana Point?
By Resource Investment Index, Richard Henry Dana Elementary ranks #3 of 3 public schools in Dana Point, CA. This compares federal resource and staffing data among local peers; it is not a test-score or academic ranking. See all public schools in Dana Point on the city page.
Is Richard Henry Dana Elementary a good school?
Richard Henry Dana Elementary earns 25/100 on the Resource Investment Index, with class sizes larger than 99% of California schools. This is a resource snapshot, not an academic rating; see the Resource Investment Index question above for what the number does and doesn't measure.
What other schools are in Capistrano Unified?
Besides Richard Henry Dana Elementary, Capistrano Unified also operates San Clemente High (2,740 students), San Juan Hills High (2,641 students), and Aliso Niguel High (2,563 students). See the Capistrano Unified district page for the complete list.
Related tools
Every figure on PlainSchools is rendered directly from the source NCES, CRDC and F-33 federal records, no number is typed in by an editor. Each school's figures reflect its most recent NCES/CRDC submission on file. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.